Demon Bride
by sKyLaR KnIgHt
Summary: He knew that he was screwed as soon as the male bit him on his neck. Why did vampires have to be so troublesome? AU Yaoi. SasuShika with minor pairings
1. Chapter 1

A/N: For IAmTheUltimateYaoiFanBOO. Sorry for the delay (explanation/excuse on profile), and I hope that you enjoi! For those who are too stubborn to notice, this is (obviously) a yaoi, so no flames, okay?

Oh, and this was too long for me to put it all in one, so I made this a multi-chapter fic. It probably won't be too long though, nothing more than 8 chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

0—Demon Bride/One—0

"Come here, bride." The crimson eyed kyuuketsuki beckoned the human teen forward with a bloodied claw, thinly veiled hunger lingering in the depths of his eyes. His voice was deep and hypnotic, his movements graceful as his tongue crept out of his cavernous mouth to dab at the "bride's" lifeblood that had remained.

"Oh man…" Nara Shikamaru groaned, dropping his hand from the fresh bandage that he had just wrapped around the neck wound. His usually half-lidded eyes were wide open as he carefully regarded the male with a wary stare. A shaky tanned hand reached for the packet of cigarettes that sat in the breast pocket of his uniform. "You won't be giving up anytime soon it seems…How troublesome."

The raven haired male cocked his head to the side as the ponytailed teen lit up the thin stick filled with tobacco and audibly sniffing before his perfectly arched nose wrinkled in displeasure. "That smells horrid, Bride. Get rid of it at once."

The brunette teen took another deep drag, briefly closing his eyes and attempting to calm him down and regain some semblance of order in his chaotic mind. He was on the right track before the putrid smell of burning flesh filled the room. His eyes flicked open just in time to see the pale demon practically fling himself to the wall opposite of him and away from the square of light streaming in from the window at his back. _He tried to…_ He eyed the demon with thinly veiled relief, a look that the creature of darkness seemed to notice immediately.

Crimson eyes tore away from him to watch mutely as his hand was already showing signs of regenerating flesh. Once satisfied that it was better, he pushed off of the wall, glaring down at the one he had chosen for himself. "You…" He growled, reaching out for the Nara, hesitating a few inches away from the light before pulling back abruptly and started pacing the entire length of the room like that of a caged animal. "You cannot remain in that small crevice of light forever."

_I know. _The lazy teen grimaced before taking another drag. _This _certainly wasn't what Shikamaru was expecting when he went over to Ino's house that morning. He glanced over to the "vampire" that lingered near the edge of the barrier that the light provided, eyes glued to his form. _Damn. _Shikamaru grimaced as he averted his gaze from the flash of hunger in the demon's eyes that had nothing to do with sustenance. _I __**really **__have to stop hanging out with that troublesome woman…Nothing good ever comes from it._

0—one hour earlier—0

He had made sure that he chewed on a bit of mint gum before approaching the Yamanaka house. He had gone through two cigarettes on his way over, a habit he pulled off of his 'favorite' sensei, and though many of his classmates, Ino included, knew, Inoichi, his father, and many adults in general didn't were left unaware.

_It's troublesome to hide, but if kaa-san finds out through the grapevine, it won't be pretty for me._ He thought, cautiously lifting a perfectly tanned hand up to his mouth and gave his breath an experimental whiff. Deeming the breath safe, he pressed the doorbell firmly, stepping back with a lazy yawn.

The span of silence only lasted for a brief moment before the sounds of loud, clomp-sounding steps were heard from the other side of the door.

"I already said; I'm not interested in what you're selling!" Yamanaka Inoichi's head poked out of the door as he snarled in the face of the startled teen, his face a mask of aggravation until he recognized the figure. "Oh! You're not a computer salesman. What on earth are you doing here, Shikamaru-kun?" He pulled up a sleeve of his dress shirt and glanced down at the expensive wrist watch. "Shouldn't you be in school now?"

"Aa; I should, but my sensei pushed his duties onto me." He lifted up a manila folder full of work from all of the female's classes. "I'm here to deliver Ino-chan's homework."

"Oh!" The elder male grinned and stepped out of the doorframe, allowing the teen enough space to pass over the threshold and into the house. "Well, you can give it to her. I'd do it myself, but as you can see," he picked up a briefcase that sat atop a nearby table, "I'm already on my way out."

"It's okay Inoichi-san, I know my way around here well enough. I'll just slip it under Ino's door."

"Arigato, Shikamaru-kun, and feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge before you leave. Ja ne!" The elder blonde grinned over his shoulder before rushing to the door and slamming it shut behind him.

_Might as well get the hard part over with…_ Shikamaru yawned without bothering to cover his mouth, shuffling in the direction of the female's room. He managed to make it there without becoming winded, despite the great distance of being on the second floor, right corner. He stared at the wooden door blankly for several seconds before getting the energy to rap at her door.

There was a brief sound of fluttering papers, as if a stack of them had just fallen from a high place; a muttered curse could be heard, and finally the theatrics.

"Erm…" Fake cough, "Tou-chan?" Ino asked from the other side of the door, her voice sounding as if she had just spent the better half of the day screaming her lungs out. "I'm not hungry…"

"Actually, it's Shikamaru; and I wouldn't bring you food even if you asked. Your dad already left for work." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he stared impassively at the oak door separating him and his friend. "I've been sent by Asuma-sensei to give you work from all the classes that you're ditching. For some reason the slave driver thinks that you'll actually do it."

"Oh." The act was immediately dropped as the blonde pulled the door open, a smile on her face as soon as she set her eyes upon him. "Good thing you came, lazy ass; there's something that I want you to do." Without waiting for a reply, she snagged the slouched teen's arm and dragged him inside.

The male immediately noticed that the female was up to something troublesome. Her normal, orderly room was instead utter chaos, paper thrown everywhere with a few used candles littered about. Her expensive and intricately designed curtains weren't pulled up to allow the sun access to the room as it usually was, and finally, he noticed a box of pizza in the corner of the room… He was certain now, because there was no way that Ino would even think to touch the greasy bread of deliciousness.

"What's with your room? Are you starting a new slob trend?"

"No." She didn't hesitate to push him onto a seat and pass him a book. "This has nothing to do with setting a trend. I've decided that I'm going to fall in love with a vampire."

"Oh?" The male's brow rose high, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. "And why are you going to do that?" _Better to humor her idea rather than ignore…If she gets angry, she'll only get louder, and that's far too troublesome for me to handle right now._

"Because, I've spent the last couple of months reading a whole bunch of romantic vampire stories and I've decided that I deserve an overprotective vamp-boyfriend too!" She held her head high with a large grin on her face, her vibrant blue eyes going hazy as a thin line of drool escaped the corner of her mouth, most likely imaging the whole scenario in her head. "I hope his name is…Dmitri!"

_Why are all the girls going through this vampire phase? _The lazy Nara glanced down at the book that she had all but shoved into his face, flipping it over so that the cover faced him western style. One glance at the title and his brows were already rising. "Latin?" His eyes tore away from the thick hardback and flicked up to his friend. "Since when do you speak Latin, Yamanaka?"

"Humph." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and flashed him a self-satisfied smirk. "Don't underestimate the power of the internet! Translating the text to Japanese was ridiculously easy!"

"…" He understood by the title that the book was full of so called 'black magic'. _Kami, Ino, what is going through that head of yours?_ He leafed through a few pages, pausing on some of the ridiculous 'spells' until coming to a stop when he saw a few pink tabs marking the page. He studied it for a few brief moments before lifting his head. "You do realize that this isn't for a vampire, ne?" He lifted the parchment and turned it so that she could see as well, pointing at the title. "This word here means demon." He lowered it so that it once again rested on his lap and skimmed the rest of the ritual, "This summoning _is _for a being that consumes blood, so I understand why you got mixed up, but this is for a kyuuketsuki, a blood demon."

"Feh," She shrugged before flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Blood demon, vampire; I really don't see the difference there."

"…You're kidding…" Shikamaru ran a hand through his hair briefly, releasing a heavy sigh. "A kyuuketsuki and a vampire are two entirely different beings. A vampire is something that was created by authors to get bestsellers while a kyuuketsuki is a thing of legends and myths. One is unrealistically searching for a random teenaged girl who just _happens _to be different than everyone else while the other is from hell and doesn't care at all who gives the blood as long as it's getting some."

"Oh come on, Shikamaru! You're over exaggerating. I'm sure that a kyuuketsuki isn't too different from a vampire." Ino paced the length of the room before meeting the lazy male's gaze with open determination. "I am going to do this."

"Whatever." He slowly climbed to his feet and placed the book down in front of her. "I'm out; I've got to make it back to school before Asuma-sensei starts bitching." He hadn't the time to laze around—as much as he desperately wanted to—especially when it included Ino. He always seemed to get in trouble where she was concerned. He had planned to go downstairs and steal some of the ramune that he knew Inoichi_ had _to have, nearly making it to the door when his wrist was snatched up into a surprisingly firm grip.

"Hold on a minute there, lazy ass, I need your help if I'm going to do this." He half turned and was nearly overwhelmed by the ferocity that she had only shown in her eyes when there was a sale at her favorite store. "You're going to help me on this."

The reply was immediate. "Hell no. Why can't you do your own dirty work for a change?"

"Because!" She exclaimed, stomping her foot like a petulant child. "According to the directions, I have to donate some of my blood!"

He was waiting for the point. "So?"

The blonde's nose wrinkled ever so slightly and a small shudder went down her spine. "Ever since that night I stayed with Sakura and her cousin I've had nightmares over blood. I never knew that the human body could release so much of it at once…They don't really get along." She added quietly.

"Then this just makes the whole ordeal pointless. Why would you want a boyfriend whose only form of sustenance is blood? The two of you would end up killing each other, one from vomiting too much, the other from starvation."

"There's no way that I'll ever let that happen!" She declared brazenly, "if this whole thing works, then I swear that I'll try my best to get over it!"

"Here's an idea," he said, pulling his wrist away so that he could lean back against the cool wood of the door, briefly closing his eyes, "how about we don't do it at all?" He should've known better. No sooner than the words left his mouth did she descend upon him, squawking like an agitated harpy.

"What do you mean 'don't do it'? We **have **to! This is my love life after all, lazy ass!"

_How troublesome. One of my best friends _would _have to be a psychotic nut, wouldn't she?_ He lingered on the thought of shielding his ears from the fury of the verbal assault, but managed to refrain, knowing that it would only serve to enrage her further. "Alright Ino, damn. I'll do the ritual." He wasn't sure why he bothered to waste the breath to say it; he knew that she would have forced him to do it in the end anyways.

"Kyaa! Arigato!" She squealed and rounded the room in a blur of purple and yellow, cleaning the room at an outrageous speed. It was there, under the lake of discarded parchment that he saw the red circle on the floor with a whole slew of Latin words scribed around the outer edge. There were dividing marks inside of the circle, made up of white chalk; several things that the ponytailed male didn't even want to begin to contemplate their ingredients were lying in the center of each division, the center space being the only thing that was empty.

It didn't take a genius to tell that that is where the blood offering was to go. So he glanced around, searching for something sharp enough… "Ino, pass me that letter opener that's sitting on your desk."

She wordlessly strutted over to her dresser and plucked up the utensil, handing it over to him without batting an eye. "I'm going to go wait outside while you do it so that I won't get sick." Ino brusquely made her way to the door, hesitating for a brief moment before swinging around, "Be careful where you drop your blood, Nara. If I find stains on my sheets, I'll make you buy me new ones."

"Get out of here already." He didn't look up to make sure she really left when the sound of the door closing reached his ears. He knew full and well that she wouldn't have stayed even if she was dying to see first-handedly if the ritual would work; the chance of even catching a glimpse of blood being introduced to her environment wasn't something that she would want.

His brown orbs scanned the page, doing whatever the book said to do; most of everything being taken care of with the exception of the blood. He glanced down to the letter opener that rested in his hands before releasing a sigh. _It's not going to draw blood on its own._ He positioned the pad of his left thumb parallel with the pointed edge, unceremoniously nicking it with a small wince before holding the digit completely still over the center division. The soft patter of his liquid of life hitting the floor was the only sound that cut through the silence of the room.

Shikamaru waited a total of three minutes before deciding that the whole thing was a lost cause. "What a complete waste of time." He groaned, turning away from the chalk circle to his friend's bathroom, entering long enough to pull out a first aid kit and drag it back out to the room. _I could've been napping in calculus at this time instead of stabbing myself for a bogus ritual to summon an imaginary boyfriend. _He popped open the lid and pulled out the smallest Band-Aid, situating it over his finger before firmly wrapping it. He paused mid-tie when a soft growl filled the rather large room.

"Whoa, didn't hear you open the door, Ino. Sorry to say that this whole thing didn't work out for you and all…"

The growl persisted.

"Look, if it's about the amount of blood, I wasn't sure of how much to put. I'll clean it up in a minute; just keep your eyes off of it." He was just about to put the lid back on the kit when the hair at the back of his neck began to stand on end due to the cold breath at the back of his neck. He stilled. _Wait a minute, breath?_ His eyes widened to the size of watermelons. He had at least a foot on Ino, so who..? He spun around just in time to be tackled to the floor by a blur of red and black.

"What the—?" He released a sharp cry as the feeling of needles scraped against the skin of his neck before piercing it completely. All train of thoughts left him for that brief moment, and all he could focus on was the intense pain. It took a couple of moments for the genius to get over the pain and properly process what was happening.

A person larger than himself—male he presumed judging by the feeling of hard muscles pressed against him—had him pinned to the ground…and he was drinking his blood.

His eyes snapped open as wide as they could muster, flinching when all he could see was liquid pools of crimson. It wasn't blood that he saw, but the eyes of a demon. _A kyuuketsuki! The summoning actually worked!_ He struggled, attempting to punch the back of the demon's head, only for a pale hand to snake out and catch it effortlessly. Shikamaru could feel the male's low chuckle of amusement against his throat as he continued to feed without a care in the world.

The ponytailed male's eyes searched wildly for some means of escape, running over everything twice before his eyes caught and landed on the thick curtain. There was a thin line of light peeking out from the edge, and if he could just reach…

The kyuuketsuki seemed to sense what was to come as soon as his tanned hand caught the tail of the fabric, for he detached himself and leapt back four feet just as the teen was engulfed in light. Once given the freedom he needed, Shikamaru scrambled off of the ground and firmly kept his back against the window pane, his disbelieving eyes locked on the creature that was supposed to be nothing more than a myth.

"So you are the bride that Gaia has gifted me with." The male chuckled deeply as his tongue flicked out to taste his claw, a low rumble sounding from the depths of his throat. "You taste divine."

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit._ Without tearing his gaze away, the teen fumbled with the first aid kit while keeping his left hand clamped firmly over his wound, pulling out some thick absorbent gauze and tearing off enough to wrap haphazardly around his neck. As he continued his ministrations, he took the time to study the demon that stood across from him, grudgingly admitting to himself that he was attractive.

The kyuuketsuki had short raven hair that framed his face and spiked out—natural, he presumed—at the back, moderately sized crimson eyes that shined with intelligence and hunger that were framed by impossibly thick lashes, a perfectly straight, arched roman nose, and the physique that belonged to street fighters.

_No doubt about it, this guy was made for seduction. _He thought grimly. _It's probably how he catches his meals…but why me?_

0—current—0

_Speaking of Ino…Where is she in all of this?_ His eyes itched to turn to the door, but the fact of the matter was that it dwelled in the shadows…Where the demon was. _If he sees me staring at the door, he'll probably get curious and go check the rest of the house, and knowing Ino, she'd probably take him as being like all of those fictional characters and fall right into his hands…_ He sighed and took another drag from his cigarette. _I'm going to have to distract him._

"What is it that you want kyuuketsuki?"

The creature's head had turned away when Shikamaru started to smoke, but snapped in his direction once he spoke. "You are aware of what I am?"

"Hai." He deadpanned, pointedly eyeing the bloodstains on the floor. "I kind of gathered that by contact."

The male crossed his arms over his chest and allowed a cocky smirk to cover his stained lips. "You are intelligent." The amount of pride in his voice surprised the teen. Why did the demon seem so…pleased about it? "What is your name, bride?"

_There it is again._ He thought with a frown. "Why do you keep calling me bride?"

"Why?" He blinked softly, his lips pursed as if he contemplated a frown or even pout, but refrained, instead moving closer to the shaft of light. "Can you not feel the bond between us?"

"Bond?" He breathed hard, hoping to kami that all of the legends that he heard of such a creature were false. If they were true…he was screwed seven ways to hell. "The only thing I feel right now, if I'm going to be completely honest, is a little anemic." He skimmed the edge of his bandaged neck, grunting at the pain that seemed to be reverberating throughout his entire body.

"I was a little…avid in the first tasting, I agree." His lips twitched, "But then again, one can hardly blame me. I've been waiting centuries for you."

_What the hell is this, a real vampire?_ Shikamaru closed his eyes, for he knew if they remained open, they'd be staring at the being across from him with doubt, which was sure to anger the creature. _This sounds so…cliché and I'm not even—. _His eyes shot open wide, instantly landing on the kyuuketsuki's face. "What exactly is this bond you feel between us?"

"One of bloodlust." He answered immediately and for a moment, the tension fled from Shikamaru's shoulders, only to come back swiftly when the male finished his sentence. "And of want…You are my bride, human, and that in a way that you can understand is that you…" His eyes flared crimson, shining brighter than the Nara's ever seen them, "You belong to me."

_So the legends _were _true._ Shikamaru grimaced. _The only kyuuketsuki that mate are those of the most ancient of blood, meaning the purest. _He glanced up at the demon he now knew to be a pureblood. _And that means that I'm the 'mate' that this ancient pureblood has chosen._ He glanced down at the cigarette that he held wedged between his fingers; the tip of what was now a bud still flaring. _This demon is never going to let me just walk away from this. He'll chase me to the end of the world if that's what it takes._

He carefully put out the bud and flicked it into the trash bin that lie a few inches away, tilting his head back and for what seemed to be the thousandth time that afternoon, closed his eyes. _This situation bites. _He winced. No pun intended.

0—Demon Bride/One—0

A/N: I hope everyone liked it. I know that it wasn't too funny, but meh, this was just the introduction chapter. Please be kind and leave a review! Perhaps that will entice me to update faster… Heh, heh.

Thanx for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanx to everyone who reviewed! Here's the next chapter! This one's going to be from Sasuke's perspective, just to try it out. When done, please leave a review and tell me which you preferred, Sasuke's or Shikamaru's, or maybe both heh, heh. Please enjoi!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

0—Demon Bride/Two—0

His bride didn't seem to be too pleased to hear that he was to become his mate. _He is so naïve. _Uchiha Sasuke smirked to himself as he watched the teenaged male put out that repulsive smelling stick and tossed it into the waste bin before leaning his head back and resting it on the window sill. The action drew the kyuuketsuki prince's eyes to his bride's neck, and with that, all thoughts immediately went out the window.

A tense feeling went through his body, his incisors instinctively pressing against his gums; his claws reaching out to grasp his body to his own. His vision went hazy for a moment, mouth salivating at the thought of having his mouth against his mate's throat, to feel the blood that tasted nothing less than liquid fire flow past his lips, the slim body of the human against his own. A low pitched growl escaped his lips and he rushed the edge of the sunlight barrier, stopping short when he felt the searing pain of the light burn through the cloth of his pants and straight to his skin.

The teen's eyes flicked open and he regarded him with a lazy, yet weary gaze. "If you're really a pureblood, shouldn't you have learned the discipline of controlling your hunger?"

The words seemed to strike a chord in Sasuke. He pulled back; the feeling of gnawing hunger dissipating. "Of course I have." He glanced around the room and spotted a chair that sat in the corner of the room, staring at it for a solid moment before walking and dragging it over so that it was positioned directly proportional to the teenaged male. "You cannot begin to fathom the difference between a bride's blood and some invalid. Your blood sings to me in such a way that it is impossible not to respond."

"…" He looked away, busying himself with glancing up at the ceiling. "What do you want from me?" If he hadn't had the superior hearing, the Uchiha knew full and well that he wouldn't have heard the low murmur of the irked male.

"What do I want _from _you?" He leaned forward, breathing in deeply to catch the faint scent of sandalwood and blood. "You've already proved your intelligence, bride. I'm assured that you are able to deduce what will happen once the sun goes down."

"And if I run away now?" He asked, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "When the sun is up at its fullest and you are at your weakest?"

Something dark churned in his gut. _He thinks to leave me. _The thought was surprisingly unpleasing; the mere thought of his bride _wanting_ to leave his side didn't sit well with him. "If you were foolish enough to run away, you know that I'd find you." His voice took on a darker tone, "and **when** I do, know that you will not be given the chance to do so again, nor will you be too pleased with what I chose to be your punishment."

The younger male's Adam's apple bobbed uncertainly for a second before he was once more calm, an impressive feat for a human as young as he. "I'm not going to run." He decided, stretching his legs out and getting comfortable. "It would be far too troublesome anyway."

Sasuke watched with interest as the male started to relax; unaware of how captivating he was when he slid into a nice position with a lazed sort of grace. "…What is your name bride?" He could tell that whenever he said 'mate' or 'bride' that there was a slight tick in the teen's jawline, signifying that it made him uncomfortable. He smirked at the thought. _Tough. He's going to have to learn that he belongs to me._

"Nara Shikamaru." He answered in clipped tones. He didn't seem too pleased with what was going on, but by the look of resignation on his face, he could tell that he also didn't have much of a choice in this either.

"Nara Shikamaru…" He tested the name on his tongue, shaking his head a moment later. It didn't fit; not anymore. "You are now an Uchiha."

Shikamaru didn't respond, physically or verbally. In fact, judging by the indifferent expression on his face, he didn't seem to have heard him. His head was angled away and out to the sky, staring up at what Sasuke assumed to be clouds with a deadpan expression.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke." The Uchiha baited, wanting to see if this would rouse a reaction from the inclined teen. He got one. The male released a deep yawn before slowly climbing to his feet, his eyes unfocused.

"Well Sasuke, I'll be going with you now as I really haven't a choice." He put one foot into the shadows, then another, the monumental move lost on the Uchiha for he was still recovering from hearing _his name _uttered from his mate's lips. "But in return, I want you to erase any idea of kyuuketsuki from my friend's mind. I know you have the ability; my grandparents were very old, stereotypically traditional Japanese people. They believed in all of the legends and saw fit that I heard all of the legends they grew up with, your abilities included."

All he could focus was the former topic. _A friend? _Sasuke's nose quivered as it sniffed out foreign scents, realizing that the smell that truly didn't belong in the room was his mate's. For the first time the kyuuketsuki was taking the time to comprehend his surroundings. _This _definitely wasn't his mate's room. For one thing, the walls were painted a certain shade of purple that a man would never be caught dead wearing, and despite the mess that the Uchiha knew tended to plague most of the male population of all manners of creatures, he instinctively knew that this wasn't something that _Shikamaru _would enjoy. That and he noticed a stray brassiere that lay unchecked in the corner of the room, tucked haphazardly beneath the chair he had dragged before the pool of light.

_A female._ He noted, his lips curling back in a small snarl of displeasure. There was a very small percentage of the female population of **any **species that he tolerated; in fact, he could only stand three of them. His mother Mikoto, his childhood friend Sakura—though only on a good day for the both of them—and his aniki's mate, Hinata. Everyone else was the bane of his existence. He utterly **despised **them. With twitching eyes, he glanced over at his mate. "This…friend of yours. She is merely a friend?" Sasuke appeared to be waiting patiently from the outside, though inwardly, his hand was itching to grasp his katana, hunt the female down, and decapitate her. The thought of there being someone else—a woman no less—being intimately close to his mate was not something that he would tolerate. Man, woman, child, anything that knew his mate more intimately than himself would die by his sword should Shikamaru show preference to them over him.

"Of course she's just a friend." The ponytailed male snorted, not taking notice—at least visibly—to the new tense air surrounding the kyuuketsuki. "Women nowadays are far too troublesome to bother with." He ran a tanned hand through his hair. "They expect you to take them out every free day and pay for everything! Only rich boys like some of my classmates can afford that without having a part-time job, which by the way, is the worst type of job to have. There's no way I'm going to force myself to do manual labor for a bunch of people who look down on me and try their best to make my job harder. It just isn't worth it, least of all now while I'm on the verge of starting my third year of high school. Besides," he muttered, clicking his tongue against his teeth speculatively as if carefully choosing words to convey his feelings adequately. "Ino-chan's a psycho."

The insult, though said affectionately, cleared all of Sasuke's doubts, making him a little more willing to do this favor for his mate. _Who knows, maybe he'll be grateful enough to let me taste his skin without the barrier of clothing._ He thought, his eyes trailing down the Nara's back hungrily, imagining their bodies joining to become one. He practically shuddered with pleasure at the mere thought, all of a sudden wanting to leave this wretched world and take his bride back to the Uchiha manor to consummate this newly formed bonding between their souls.

"Oi… Sasuke? You coming or what?"

His eyes snapped open once more and flicked over to his bride, who stood casually next to the door that stood ajar.

"She's probably not too far; after all, it was her idea. She'll have wanted to be near just in case it actually worked…" Sasuke felt the brunette's gaze upon him, but didn't respond with one of his own, instead, he closed his eyes and allowed his senses to expand throughout the confines of the mansion, searching for all other forms of life.

"She is downstairs in the room to the right." His eyes flicked open in annoyance. "I will take care of this." He moved to exit the room, stopping when his mate's arm outstretched, blocking his path. It wouldn't have stopped him if he was really adamant about it, but he paused nonetheless. "What is it?"

"There are a bunch of rooms downstairs that have large amounts of light coming in through the windows. Let me go and get her."

The Uchiha's face went blank, the room going silent for a few blatant moments. "Very well." His eyes were glued to the back of Shikamaru's head until he turned out of sight, going downstairs as he said. _But what if he doesn't return? What if he takes the girl with him and runs away? _The thought was quickly dismissed before he could even entertain it. The tan teen wouldn't have wasted the breath to say that he wasn't going to run away if that was what he truly wished for, that was something that Sasuke could sense on his own without having to know the ponytailed male for long; he seemed to be the type to hate wasted effort. So instead of using his powers to track where the other male went and to see what he was doing, he nonchalantly moved over to the female's bed and stretched out.  
>Shikamaru returned a few moments later with a blonde female in tow, and before Sasuke could get a look at her, she was shrieking like a rabid banshee and flying across the room towards him with her hands outstretched as if to embrace him.<p>

With reflexes that only a demon could manage, Sasuke's hand shot out and placed a palm on her forehead, effectively keeping her an arms-length away. Crimson hues flicked down and caught onto her bright blue ones that shone with so much hope and adoration. Then she opened her mouth and… "Kyaa! He's so handsome! I'VE LANDED ME THE HANDSOMEST MAN IN THE WORLD!"

"What a grating yell this woman has." Sasuke muttered in disgust, staring down at her with a look of such contempt.

"He's adorable!" She exclaimed; reaching for him once more before her eyes slid down his chest. They stilled upon impact before widening the size of saucers and promptly rolling back in her head as she passed out.

_What the…?_ Sasuke glanced up at Shikamaru for an explanation of some sorts and the lazy teen just shrugged. "No use explaining something that you won't care about in a couple of hours."

_That's true._ The kyuuketsuki nodded in affirmation before turning his gaze back to the unconscious blond in his arms, careful to keep her a fair distance away from him. "This won't take but a couple of seconds, bride."

"Hai." Shikamaru lingered near the edge of the door and released a heavy sigh, muttering to himself; knowing full and well that the demon could hear every word. "Honestly, telling him my name was a waste of breath if he isn't going to use it."

The kyuuketsuki's lips twitched up slightly at the corner in amusement at his mate's obvious aggravation, but it soon fell as soon as he was once more focusing on the blonde in his arms. _She is honestly more repulsive than a banshee. At least they have a reason for being so loud, they cannot help it. This creature has no reason whatsoever. _He sighed before putting a hand at the back of her neck, manipulating it in such a way that her face was upturned so that her forehead was meeting his. _Now this won't take long I don't want to spend so much time dwelling in such a woman's mind._ He closed his eyes and plunged into her head, heading directly towards the portion of her brain that held all of the memories.

He ignored all of the childhood memories that included a chubby boy and his mate, no matter how strong the urge to see how his bride was raised and like as an infant, and went straight for her more recent memories, specifically the ones where she has become obsessed with the idea of snagging a 'vampire' as a potential mate. With little effort he waved his hand over her and erased the memories, putting in its place the need for a kitsune, already hoping futilely that she would manage another summoning spell for his knuckleheaded best friend.

"That's it." He sniffed, pulling out of her brain swiftly and unceremoniously dropping the blonde's body to the ground and stepping away.

The brown haired teen blinked, but made no move to dive for the fallen female, instead glancing up and regarding the kyuuketsuki with a blank stare. "Was that really necessary? You could've dropped her on her bed all the same."

Sasuke smirked and didn't bother to hide it. "Aa, I suppose that I could've." He shrugged before stepping forward towards Shikamaru; his claws open into a palm as if waiting for said teen to grasp it. "Alright, let us be on our way."

"We have to clean up a few things here first." The ponytailed male sighed but lumbered over to the bathroom and pulled out a couple of paper towels, kneeling over and wiping up the blood trail that they had left behind when he had bit into his mate's neck. He caught the kyuuketsuki staring and yawned outright, not bothering to cover his mouth politely. "Ino-chan faints at the sight of blood, so it'd be beneficial for me if I cleaned it up before she faints again as soon as she wakes up."

_So that would be why the blonde fainted upon staring at my chest._ Sasuke thought speculatively, his eyes flicking off of his mate's childhood friend and to his robes that were stained with the now browning blood. _Oh well. What kind of idiot wants a demon as her mate when she cannot stand the sight of a little carnage?_ He crossed his arms over his chest and was getting ready to lean back and wait for his bride to finish his cleaning when he noticed a thick, leather bound black book. Feeling his curiosity piqued, he pushed off of the wall and strode forwards, plucking the book up while glancing over his shoulder to gauge Shikamaru's progress.

Once assured that the male wouldn't be done anytime soon, he flicked the cover open, glancing down at the worn, yellowing pages with avid fascination. _Hn… This seems to be the work of some kind of human shaman or miko._ He flicked through the pages for a few more minutes; only pausing when he came upon the page that he could only assume was used to summon himself; judging by the amount of added scrawl around the text, obvious notes that translated the unknown language into their own._ If they are able to pull a pureblood such as myself from the demon realm, then it isn't wise to allow such a book to remain in the hands of a human._ He thought, sliding the book into the folds of his robes before facing his male once more. "We are leaving, bride."

Shikamaru sighed, a tanned hand lifting up to rub the tiredness from his eyes before shuffling over to the overbearing kyuuketsuki. "Will I be able to say goodbye to my family?" he asked; the tones used gave nothing away as to what his feelings were one way or the other.

"Hn." Sasuke paused, this time to actually take the initiative and think on his answer before giving it, something that he was notorious for, but hasn't used once while in the presence of his bride. He may be ancient, but he couldn't help but act like a young buck in his prime while around Shikamaru.

After the moment of silence, he glanced back up to the lean male, nodding in affirmation before adding on, "But only for ten minutes. And that includes gathering all that you wish to bring with us. We will not be returning anytime soon."

"Okay." The teen stretched a little before turning his half-lidded gaze towards the raven haired male once more. "Well, how are we going to do this? Wait out the sun and then leave? It's going to be hours."

_He claims to know much and yet is still lacking in the basic knowledge of my true abilities._ Sasuke gave his head a slight shake. "Iie. I've another method of travelling while under the cover of daytime." He bit into the meat of his thumb, and closed his eyes, chanting a spell in the ancient tongues, before dipping each finger into the blood he provided and pressing the hand into the full length mirror that sat a few inches away from the bathroom door. He stepped back and half turned to watch in amusement at the change of expression on his bride's face at the sight of a doorway forming in the reflection of the mirror. Once it was formed completely, he reached out and twisted the knob, pushing it open before holding his hand outstretched for the Nara to take it.

The teen blinked at the door, peering in at the world that was shrouded in darkness before glancing over at the paler male with a wary expression. "Well, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"Heh. Shika, you haven't even brushed the surface of it." Sasuke's blood was practically singing when his bride's hand reluctantly grasped his own, staring down at him as hunger slowly ebbed back to life at the closeness between them. "But you will come to know of ALL of my skills." He licked his lips in anticipation as his eyes glowed crimson again, breathing in the teen's scent that appealed to him in all kinds of ways. "EVERY single one of them."

Shikamaru grimaced and avoided the male's gaze, stepping a fraction of a step away from the demon. _You know, every time Sasuke licks his lips and stares at me in such a way, I can't help but feel a bit worried for my ass._ He glanced back over to the Uchiha when he tugged him closer, eyeing him with lust. _Very worried._

"Come along, Shika, the beyond waits." The raven haired kyuuketsuki tugged on his wrist and at once they stepped through the portal, the door shutting behind them with a resounding click.

There would be no turning back.

0—Two/End—0

A/N: Thanx for reading! Now please let me know which POV you preferred


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanx for the reviews! Please enjoi this next chappie!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

0-Demon Bride/Three-0

Stepping over the threshold was an interesting experience in of itself, Shikamaru had to admit. It had felt as though he was completely submerged in water and was attempting to walk through it as he did on land. He didn't know that he was holding his breath until the Uchiha at his side squeezed the hand that he was holding and sent him an amused look over his shoulder.

"The air here is perfectly safe to breathe in, Bride. In fact, it's much like the air from the human world before they started creating things that would pollute it like cars and those industrial buildings back in the day."

Shikamaru eyed the kyuuketsuki briefly before opening his mouth and taking a deep breath of air. He half expected the sensation of something rushing into his mouth as it would have had he been in the water he imagined, however, it never came. Instead, he was surprised with air that had a sort of sweet taste to it. _Wait, sweet air..? I guess Sasuke did say that this air _was _safer than the human world, but wow... _The lazy teen snorted at his thoughts before taking the time to check out their surroundings at the moment.

It was structured the same way that Ino's room in the human world was with the exception that she wasn't there, and that it was lacking all of her earthly possessions. "So this is the Beyond."

"Hai." Sasuke answered despite the fact that the pony-tailed male didn't phrase it like a question. He swept his raven locks out of his bright crimson hues as they slid over to him with a look of pure satisfaction. "It pleases me that I don't have to explain all of these things to you. It saves us time that can be used for more... Strenuous activities."

The teen yawned and pointedly ignored the suggestive leer that the vampire sent him, slowly making his way over to where the door stood. "Alright, I guess that I have to lead the way to my house since you've no idea where I live. The streets are still the same, ne?" He glanced over his shoulder and froze, chocolate hues widening to the point where the male actually looked awake.

Sasuke was standing directly behind him, his hands stretching out and boxing Shikamaru in. He leaned in so close that their noses were half an inch away from each other. "The dominant one leads, my Bride." The kyuuketsuki purred, his long lashes a stark contrast to his pale skin. "And in case you didn't catch on to the fact that _I'm_ the one claiming _you_, I'll tell you plainly." His face brushed against the tan cheek, finally reaching the studded ear. His breath was hot, causing the teen to inadvertently shiver and arch towards the feeling. "I'm top."

Shikamaru released a groan and threw his head back against the door in attempts to pull away from the other male. He could feel subtle hints of a flush on his cheeks and couldn't help but feel irritated with himself. _Blushing is so troublesome. It leads to other things and this guy is already horny enough..._ He glanced back at the raven haired male who had already stepped away and was eyeing him with _that _look for the hundredth time that afternoon. If he were anyone else, he would've snapped at the male and told him to stop looking at him like that, but he wouldn't be Shikamaru if he did. Instead, he merely met the Uchiha's gaze and yawned.

He half expected the kyuuketsuki to be offended, but instead he got a slight quirk of the lips and another look of approval. Sasuke's hand came down on his own once more and he was tugged away from the door and behind so that the taller male could push it open. "I won't need your assistance. If I focus on your spirit, I can trace it back to where its second greatest presence is located, the first being you yourself." He explained as they made their way downstairs.

"Aa."

They followed the staircase down to the entrance of the large mansion, the Uchiha's hand pausing briefly over the handle. "Just don't... Do not stare for long." He stated before jerking the door open and guiding them outside.

Shikamaru wasn't sure if he was supposed to be amazed or freaked out by how it looked on the outside. The first thing that he looked at was the sky. It wasn't blue, but instead a milky white color that seemed to be the source of light for the area, and though it was bright, he couldn't sense any heat coming off of it. He glanced over at the male at his side, noting how he seemed completely at ease in this world.

Sasuke tugged them forward and the pony-tailed teen wasn't surprised when they immediately set off in the correct direction. Shikamaru was pretty sure that if this man before him was capable of making a doorway into another universe out of a mirror, he'd be able to find out where he lived. The area surrounding them was quiet...until they rounded the corner.

There were numerous elves and other unusual creatures flocking around in the streets, moving around the area which was set up much like a bazaar, selling and haggling in such a _human _manner. Some of them were short and had wrinkled up faces that reminded him of Kakashi-sensei's pug Pakkun, while others seemed to be walking trees with the faces of angels. Some smelled of death and decay while others smelled of peonies and roses. They all seemed to have a large range of differences between them, but he soon came to realize that they all had one thing in common; whenever they'd catch sight of Sasuke and himself, they'd stop whatever it is that they were doing and practically lunge for the ground to give the raven haired male a deep bow.

_Does he run the show around here?_ Shikamaru pondered, lazily flicking his gaze towards the male who had claimed him as his mate. _Something seems to have changed in the way he holds himself whenever we had crossed over to this realm._ He noted, staring up at him from beneath his thick lashes, trying to put his finger on what change had transpired before his eyes in a matter of seconds.

The Uchiha caught him staring and immediately leaned forward, his lips brushing against his ear once more. "Do not linger too long, bride. The pathetic creatures before you will not hesitate to capture you and devour you." He breathed, before pulling away and pushing past the crowds in a dismissing manner. "Their hunger for human flesh is much stronger than their sense of self preservation. They know full and well that if they tried to do so, I would end them, but they would still try to get you should you stray too far.

The brunette glanced over to the group of creatures that lingered near the edge of his peripherals, his lips curling in disgust as he realized that they were staring at him with a glimmer of hunger in their eyes that was nothing like that which Sasuke stared at him. It didn't scare him as much as it was unsettling, and for once, he was the one stepping closer to the Uchiha, ignoring the small look of triumph that shined deep in the kyuuketsuki's eyes.

He could tell that the ebony haired male was mighty pleased with this new closeness between the two of them, and he would've just rolled his eyes and gone with it if it weren't for the wandering hand that started off on his lower back and gradually worked its way down...

"Keep going like that, and I think that I'd prefer to be eaten." Shikamaru drawled, lazily pulling himself away from the perverse clutches of the other male. "Besides, how can you possibly be in the mood for that when you're in a place like this?" The tanned male glanced around them, his nose scrunching up a little when a particularly foul smelling creature passed by.

A cold hand came down on his chin, lifting his head up to meet the fiery gaze of the hand's owner. "Hn. This may come as a shock, Bride, but I'll always be in the mood for you."

"E-Eh?" The pony-tailed male flushed and broke the intense gaze, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Don't say such embarassing things out loud... Troublesome youkai."

"It is not embarrassing in the least. It's merely in my nature. After all, I'm kyuuketsuki, I won't be troubled with feeling embarrassed over something that is natural for everyone." Sasuke sniffed before reaching out and tugging his mate alongside him.

"Being with another man isn't exactly natural for everyone in the human world. Some, maybe, but other people just don't accept it." Shikamaru mumbled under his breath.

"And you suspect that your parent's are a pair of people who won't accept this union?" Sasuke asked over his shoulder as he pulled them into the house that belonged to the Nara family on the other side. There were a couple of blue demons in there, sitting around in the room that should have been the living room, playing some strange game with unusual diamond shaped dice. They looked up upon their entrance, jaws dropping as soon as they caught sight of the kyuuketsuki.

"S-Sasuke-sama!" They both jumped to their feet, hiding the money and dice behind their backs.

_Must be an illegal game of some sorts._ Shikamaru noted, before turning his gaze back to the male holding his hand.

"Leave." He didn't spare them a glance, instead choosing to turn to face his Bride. "Where are the safe spots in this house? I can't afford to pull us out of the Beyond, only to collapse into a shaft of light."

"You're safe." He watched the demons take their leave from the corner of his eyes before turning back to the male before him. "The only place that my okaa-san makes sure to keep perfectly lighted is the kitchen. Everywhere else is kept dark so that my tou-san can nap in any room he wishes without having to worry about sun getting in his eyes and waking him up."

"Hn... Very well. You may lead us to a mirror, Bride." Sasuke allowed a small smirk to grace his lips when the teen merely rolled his eyes at the endearment before following him closely up the stairs to the last room on the right.

"This is my room." He pushed the door open with his hand and lead them over the threshold. The teen's eyes flicked over the expanse of the room, watching with an unreadable expression at the barren room before flicking his gaze over to the mirror that sat in the corner of the room.

Sasuke didn't say anything else as he lifted his free hand and touched the reflective glass, smiling when a door appeared in the center. He quickly pulled it open and entered, Shikamaru half a step behind them as they re-entered the room, this time in the human world. The room wasn't as empty as it was in the Beyond, but it wasn't as full as the kyuuketsuki had expected. There was a bed, a dresser, and a small bookshelf. He glanced over his shoulder at his mate, quirking a brow.

"It would be too troublesome to have anything else to care for. The simpler things are, the easier they are to manage." The Nara's hand slowly released the paler male's as he walked over to his bed. "Anyways, we really should think of something to say to my family before we go out there... What do you-." When the brunette male moved to turn around, he was shocked to see crimson hues right before his.

"I think that we should just go with it, Shika." Sasuke whispered, before leaning forward and promptly meshed their lips together.

0-Three/End-0

A/N: Thanx for reading!

Please review!


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